Difference between revisions of "Utility fog"
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Utility fog must not be confused with the concept of [[universal assembler]]s. | Utility fog must not be confused with the concept of [[universal assembler]]s. | ||
They may superficially look similar because they both can feature [[legged mobility]]. | They may superficially look similar because they both can feature [[legged mobility]]. | ||
| − | Its not designed to replicate or even do [[mechanosynthesis]]. | + | Its not designed to replicate or even do [[mechanosynthesis]]. |
| + | When it does recompose [[microcomponents]] it's not utility fog but [[Microcomponent maintainance units]] | ||
| + | (which lack the wits for fluid dynamics and have vewer (eight) shorter and sturdier linking appendages. | ||
| + | A specialised nanofactory will normally work faster than them but can't do live maintainance. | ||
= Modes = | = Modes = | ||
Revision as of 16:25, 18 May 2014
(speculativity warning!)
Utility fog is a concept devised by J. Storrs hall. Consult wikipedia for a basic introduction.
Utility fog is not the easiest product to create (well the mechanics may be not too complicated but the programming and system design like data transmission and fluid dynamics emulation is going to be very difficult) As many others it's not a product to expect early on.
Utility fog must not be confused with the concept of universal assemblers. They may superficially look similar because they both can feature legged mobility. Its not designed to replicate or even do mechanosynthesis. When it does recompose microcomponents it's not utility fog but Microcomponent maintainance units (which lack the wits for fluid dynamics and have vewer (eight) shorter and sturdier linking appendages. A specialised nanofactory will normally work faster than them but can't do live maintainance.
Contents
Modes
Naive mode
The units fill the floor densely and rise up to form some ********* when requested or do **** *** when some malicious computer virus took control.
Fog mode
The units fills a whole space and immerses all present humans and animals.
A bubble around the head of breathing life forms is proposed.
It seems not too unlikely that software bugs can kill people in several horrible ways.
Transmission from the fogs surface to an holographic display inside the bubbles seems very SciFi.
It's yet unclear how transparent a strictly periodic undistorted utility fog crystal will be. If it's sufficiently transparent then whenever fluid dynamic activity is performed interesting optical distortions will occur.
Surface smoothing
Security
Accidental inhalation
Accidental ingestion
Accidental environmental release
As with all AP products splinter prevention is an important issue. The legs must not break under any normal circumstances (hammer attack, gun bullet) but turn/flex away. Only projectiles with the speed of space debris (LEO orbital speeds) will not be handlable even with the best design. Cleanup?
If chunks must break of (e.g. due to high force shearing) they should be as big as possible.
Since utility fog is designed to be able to come apart at any interface at any time. A hardware mechanism is reqired that prevents units from letting go at all or most of its (twelve) linking appendages at the same time or else software bugs will undoubtably lead to massive spill of lost units that irrecoverably left the machine phase.
External references
- Wikipedia article: [1]
